NJ residents near Passaic River urged to 'evacuate immediately'; flooding 'imminent'
Parts of NJ under evacuation order due to flooding
It's been two days since a powerful coastal storm slammed the region, and many neighborhoods in New Jersey are still feeling the effects, with multiple water rescues happening in several communities as the Passaic River crested its banks, flooding several neighborhoods.
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. - A New Jersey town issued an evacuation order for residents along a portion of the Passaic River, which could flood at any moment as water levels rise due to Monday's coastal storm.
Little Falls in Passaic County said forecast models show "catastrophic" flooding could impact areas near the river, which the National Weather Service reports as remaining in a major flood stage near Riverview Drive and Adam Drive.
"The Passaic River has breached its banks. Flooding is imminent. Evacuate immediately and move vehicles to higher ground," Little Falls Police tweeted Tuesday.
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Residents were urged to evacuate Monday night, and the flood warning remains in effect as of noon Tuesday. The town is using the Civic Center as an emergency shelter, but pets are not permitted. Anyone with pets is encouraged to stay with family or friends.
The Passaic River is also at risk of flooding in other parts of Essex, Passaic, Somerset and Morris counties, and flood warnings remain in effect throughout northern New Jersey.
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"If a flood warning remains in effect for your neighborhood or along your commute route, flooding is still possible, even under sunny skies!" the NWS warns.
Flooding throughout New Jersey
More than 5 inches of rain fell in parts of New Jersey, according to the NWS. Streets were flooded in some communities.
In Lincoln Park, a house surrounded by floodwaters caught a fire Tuesday morning and was engulfed by flames. Firefighters were unable to get to it. Police said the house was unoccupied.
Early in the storm, the weather service issued flood and flash-flood warnings for New York City and the surrounding area, parts of Pennsylvania, upstate New York, western Connecticut, western Massachusetts and parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
In Catskill, New York, a driver was killed after the vehicle went around a barricade on a flooded road and was swept into the Catskill Creek, the Times Union reported. A man was pronounced dead in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, after he was found in a submerged vehicle Monday morning.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.